Pain / Nerve Damage Patient Stories

Taken from letters written by Arkansas patients:

ARKANSANS CLAIM MARIJUANA IS POWERFUL MEDICINE -- The debate in Arkansas about medical benefits from marijuana often focuses on scientific evidence, legal ramifications and moral questions, while those who have used the herb for medicine are frequently forgotten. Click here to read full story.

ASEPTIC NECROSIS of the BONE -- Age 55, Vietnam veteran first began having problems 13 yrs ago after a slight accident resulted in unexpected injuries. He states that the Veterans Administration denies that Agent Orange or other battlefield chemical exposures have caused this problem.  "The doctors told me my bones were in trouble... Click here to read full story. Feb 2003

SPINAL INJURY -- Subject is 61-year old white male, native of Arkansas injured 27 years ago by a stray gunshot wound at his business. A T-7 spinal cord injury resulted in paraplegia and nine months in rehabilitation.  Click here to read full story.

NERVE DAMAGE -- 46 year old male patient with brachial-plexus syndrome in left arm. The nerves in my neck were smashed in a gunshot accident -- the bullet went through my shoulder, through my neck, and came out the back.  Click here to read full story.

RELIEF IN PAIN AND DYING -- I am 63 years old and hold a Masters degree in social work. I have been certified as an advanced practitioner in the field of social work. I have had opportunities to witness what a positive difference the medical use of marijuana can make for persons with a variety of medical conditions. In addition, I have seen this positive benefit in my own family. Click here to read letter.

CHRONIC BACK & JOINT ILLNESS -- I blew out my back in 1994. I have had two unsuccessful surgeries and have been on disability since 1996. I have degenerative disk disease, degenerative joint disease, and fibromyalgia. I have been living with near constant pain since 1994. I also live with severe depression and anxiety. I am on some very serious "legal" medications with strong addictive possibilities and numerous side effects including hydrocodone and oxycodone (maximum dosage), muscle relaxers, and sleeping pills. Even with these medications, I still have significant pain and trouble sleeping. The only medicine that brings me near a pain-free state is marijuana.

Marijuana stops my painful muscle spasms, eases my pain greatly, and helps me sleep. It also improves my mood. In many ways, I feel it has saved my life. This is an important issue of legal reform that means life versus death, or misery versus relief for millions of people. I can no longer sit back and do nothing. I will do what I can in my little corner of the world. If we all did that, change would be inevitable. November 20, 2002 Hot Springs

PAIN, MUSCLE SPASM -- Tom is a 43-year-old man with a severe degenerative form of arthritis association with a childhood diagnosis of scoliosis. He wore a back brace for three years before the doctors determined that his condition was worsening...  Click here to read full story.  Mar 2003

MUSCLE SPASM, SEIZURES, PAIN -- "My husband Danny is 45, totally disabled, and homebound. His primary illness is Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a peripheral nerve disease. He has also suffered two strokes and is prone to seizures. Prior to his arrest for possession in '99 he used marijuana. Since then his doctors have had to add an additional four medications and his condition has worsened greatly... Click here to read full story.  Feb 2003

ACCIDENT RESULTING IN CHRONIC PAIN -- Kendle G., male age 31, injured in 1997 when he was pinned between the rear bumper of a UPS truck and the concrete loading dock. "I consider myself fortunate to not have had my legs severed, but am still left with chronic pain and difficulty walking. I have been on pain medication since the accident and am severely addicted to them... Click here to read full story.  Jan 2003

CHRONIC PAIN - back injuries left him in shambles and prescription drugs got him addicted. Now, with marijuana, he can function.

BIKING ACCIDENT RESULTING IN BACK PAIN -- Before my accident, I rode in the top six percent of cyclists in the world. All the crazy mountain bike videos you see, that was me. On September 26, 2001, I was riding my mountain bike on one of my favorite trails. I had one of those "one in a million" accidents which ended with me landing on my head and shattering C5 - C7 vertebra of my spine. I became a tetraplegic, basically no voluntary movement from the nipples down. Click here to read full story. May 2004

ACCIDENT RESULTING IN BACK PAIN -- 62 year old Male, I was injured on the job in 1978 but continued to work until 1982 with excruciating pain. [I had] spinal nerve damage for which there is no technology to repair. I have seen a pain specialist and for some time was taking hydrocodone (Vicodin) for my chronic back and leg pain. I found myself in the emergency room at the hospital... Click here to read full story. Nov 2004

BACK TROUBLE -- Middle aged, male patient we'll call "Back Trouble" injured his back over years of work lifting heavy objects, particularly 80 to 100 pound bags of cement, from 150 to 200 bags per day. Damage occurred to his back muscle, which is torn, and sciatic nerve. Click here to read full story.

CHARLES -- Charles is a 53 year old male and lives near Fort Smith. In the early eighties he worked in the oil well service industry and had no debts. In 1984 he had a major  motorcycle accident, while not wearing a helmet. He was diagnosed with massive brain damage and nerve damage. He was in a coma and had no memory for the first 27 days. Click here to read full story.

AMPUTATION PAIN -- "I have severe nerve pain and panic attacks. Marijuana helps ease my nerves and pain. I also take 100 mg Methadone and 3 mg of Clonazpam (Valium). I have my left leg amputated right below my knee. I have pain from where the nerves are cut off."

CHILDHOOD POLIO -- Jean suffered polio as a child, which left one leg permanently disabled. She walks with a limp. Now in her 60s, Ms. Cooper's condition has become exacerbated by post polio syndrome, which causes extreme pain in her hips and legs and general body weakness with muscle cramps. Click here to read full story.

FIBROMYALGIA AND SCLERODERMA, very painful daily life and marijuana is the only medicine that she can use that doesn't keep her too drugged to function.

SPINAL CORD INJURY - wife was in car wreck, broken tailbone and chronic pain, uses marijuana for pain relief without the drugging effects of prescriptions

ARTHRITIS - woman with advanced rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis discovered that marijuana is better than prescriptions

ARTHRITIS- Vietnam vet disabled with advanced arthritis, uses marijuana to relax muscles and relieve pain

VIETNAM VET - chronic low back pain following car wreck in 1990, has advanced lupus and digestive disorder. Marijuana helps with pain and nausea. After he began working for the medical marijuana campaign, he was arrested for two joints, his third possession charge. Now the prosecutor wants to imprison him as habitual offender.

APPETITE AND PAIN -- 44 year old female professional portrait artist, I have used medical marijuana for about ten years, until May 3, 2001. That is the day my husband and I were arrested and jailed. We were charged with possession of 14 ounces of dried, frozen marijuana and four or five small plants. They charged us with manufacture and intent to sell because of the hundreds of small baggies I use to package my hand-crafted earrings. All charges are felonies and we are facing 4-10 years in prison.  Click here to read full story.

MY STORY -- I'm a medical marijuana user. Ten years ago, I was an addiction professional, working in a chemical dependency program. I also worked in DWI programs. Five years ago, I was in an auto accident that totaled my truck and me. Click here to read full story.

MULTIPLE AILMENTS - has Crohn's disease, Nephrotic disease, osteoarthritis, and minimal change disease. Marijuana is the only thing that allows him to function.